Pigment Power: Transforming Powders into Paint

Hey there, fellow scribes and artists of the Society for Creative Anachronism! Time to dust off those pigments and get back into the art of making paint!

I know it’s been a while since we last delved into this colorful world, but fear not! I’ve got some exciting updates for you. So let’s get started.

Paint-making In a Nutshell

Step one in our paint-making adventure is all about dispersing that lovely powdered colorant in water. Sounds simple, right? Well, it can be, but there’s a world of tips and tricks to uncover about it.

And that’s just the beginning! The second part is where the real fun begins—mixing in a binder. Each video I found features a different binder, adding a unique twist to the process. But you’d be surprised by how much you can learn even if they’re using a binder different from your usual go-to.

Resources

Remember those fantastic online tutorials I had for you before? Unfortunately, it seems some of them have vanished into the digital abyss or are no longer free. So, I’ve been on a quest to find other quality resources, and I’ve struck gold. I uncovered some new links that are packed with valuable information on how to work your magic with pigments.

Written Sources

• Playing With Period Pigments: A Make And Take Class–My class handout on Google Doc (minus its pictures).
• How paint works – Explain that Stuff: This article explains the basic components and functions of paint, including solvent, pigment, and binder. It also describes the difference between oil-based and water-based paints, and how they dry and cure.
• Making Your Own Water-Based Paint – Natural Pigments: This tutorial shows you how to make your own watercolor medium using gum arabic, honey, glycerin, and distilled water. It also suggests grinding pigment directly into the watercolor medium instead of in water.
• Instructions for making artist’s watercolor and gouache – Earth Pigments: This page provides detailed instructions on how to make watercolor and gouache paints using pigments, whiting chalk, gum arabic, honey, glycerin, and distilled water. It also gives you some tips on how to store and use your homemade paints.
• Painting the Heavens: making gouache paint for SCA illumination Here B. Konstantia, from the Kingdom of Calontir, gives you a helpful tutorial on gouache making. If you go to this link be sure to check out her other paint making posts.

YouTube Videos

• Pigments and Paints Colorfest Exploratorium–Alex Warren, Sinopia Pigments founder, demonstrates grinding a pigment and then mixing it into egg yolk binder to make paint. He makes it look so very easy. And it is!

• Making Ochre Paints–Using soil and roadside rocks artist Helen Fitzgerald makes Ochre watercolor paint. 

• Making Watercolor Paint Out of Natural Pigment, Tutorial–A step-by-step tutorial by artist Ekaterina Smirnova. She shows how to make watercolor paint from pigments found in nature. 

• How To Make Oil Paint–A tutorial about making pigment into oil paint.
• How To Make Your Own Oil Paint— A Howcast tutorial about studio oil paint production. A written step-by-step guide is also provided. 
• Egg Tempera Making Lecture–How to make egg tempera paint with egg yolk and powdered pigments. She also shows techniques for using it
• How Make Your Own Water-based Paint – Natural Pigments¹: This tutorial shows you how to disperse pigment into water for waterborne paint using distilled water, a spatula, and a muller. It also explains how to add a watercolor medium made of gum arabic, honey, and glycerin to the pigment paste.
• Different Methods for Making Your Own Paint – Earth Pigments²: This article gives you an overview of different solvents and binders that you can use to make your own paint. It also mentions egg tempera and linseed oil as common binders for pigments.
• Making Your Own Watercolor Paint–Watercolor artist David C. Powers shows how he makes watercolor paint from powdered pigment. Powers works from a large amount of pigment giving you another viewpoint.

For the curious mind, Master Pigments has four videos showing the tedious historic methods of making vivid blue, lead white, and blue ochre. 

With Gratitude and Paint-Stained Hands: The Conclusion

With the these resources now at our fingertips, there’s no limit to the stunning hues we can create. Whether you’re a seasoned artisan or just starting, remember that experimentation is the key to unlocking your artistic potential. Embrace the diversity of pigments, and don’t be afraid to venture beyond your comfort zone. The world of pigments and paint awaits. So go forth, and let your imaginations run wild!